Kasumi Ninja
by Valentine Meikin
Summary: Ranma has a challenge. One that is the hardest he's ever faced. Engaged to Kasumi, all he has to do is notice her. However, the problem is this... No-one yet has managed to really notice that she even exists. To lose means a life as Kasumi's girlfriend and later wife, to win, however... may be a much worse thing than losing his masculinity...
1. Chapter 1

There are several constants in the universe. Within Furinkan, there were these constants... Akane was Soun Tendo's protege, the bedrock that would support his style into the 21st century, Nabiki was turning into someone whose life would be governed by the value of the yen, and Kasumi...

Kasumi was just there, with a pot of fresh tea when guests came over, or some other useful item at just the right time, not quite a servant, but somehow, she could literally fade into the noise of regular life. No-one had yet asked her how she was capable of doing so.

When Nabiki asked her sister how, she only told her one of the strangest pieces of advice ever...

"Do you remember mother?" She asked, for Nabiki to shake her head in embarrassment, Kasumi chuckling, "I know, it is odd."

She then placed a single 100-yen coin on the table. "This is the price of this advice, and it will be the most valuable coin in the entire of Furinkan one day..." Kasumi stated, before saying, cryptically, "The day I am noticed, nowhere will be safe."

She then walked away, and returned to being acknowledged, but not, to Nabiki's curiosity, noticed. She herself only acknowledged her food was there, a cup of tea was waiting when she needed it, but she didn't notice Kasumi deliver it. She looked over at the 100 yen coin Kasumi had given her, and swallowed. Yes, it was a incredibly valuable coin, since it had set a dangerous precedent...

Kasumi had let her see her to give her the coin, but before and after that, she relied on the fact she was there, without thinking of how she was only assumed to exist...

Years later, she cursed the name Saotome with all her heart. Because of what happened when Ranma arrived...

* * *

**Chapter One - Acknowledged... But not noticed or seen.**

**Disclaimer - Ranma Nibbunoichi (C) Rumiko Takahashi.**

**Any profit made from this story is done without my express permission, and I do not own the franchise, but may own some interpretations under fair use guidelines.**

**Author's Note: It is a worrying precedent. Outside of one or two situations, you could write the entire of Ranma's story, and never mention Kasumi by name, just refer to what she did, and nothing would really change. She is quite literally the embodiment of the chapter title... Within a series that you can recognise everyone within seconds, Kasumi remains unknown.**

* * *

Soun Tendo looked at the postcard, summoning his daughters to the table, acknowledging Kasumi as she poured them each a cup of tea before sitting down, Nabiki frowning for some reason. "A old friend and his son will be arriving shortly. We agreed a alliance between our two houses, since me and him are the sole known senseis in Anything Goes..." Soun began.

"So, A marriage between his son and Akane would unify the schools..." Kasumi offered, Soun nodding in acknowledgement.

"It does not have to be Akane, it could just as easily be Nabiki..." Soun replied. There was then a commotion at the door, and what looked like a panda stomped in with a redhead, who tipped a cup of water over their head, to grow a foot or so in height and noticeable muscle definition. "No, Pops, I don't have a second glass, I just got handed it, used it, that's all..."

"What exactly happened then?" Nabiki asked the boy, who was clearly the son of... whoever the panda was.

"Jusenkyo Curse, Turns me into a girl when I get hit by cold water. The annoying thing is that rain counts..." He stated, "Anyone know who gave me the water?"

"It was..." Nabiki began, only to find that Kasumi wasn't anywhere she could see her, "Damn, How did she do that?"

"Who?" The boy asked.

"My oldest sister, Kasumi..." Nabiki muttered, "If you see her... Let me know. And I mean, IF you see her..."

"How hard would it be to notice someone?" The boy asked. All Nabiki replied with was flipping a coin through her fingers.

"Soun, About that engagement..." Nabiki smirked, before she put down the coin, "I think that Kasumi would be perfect..."

"Hmm... Yes, yes... Ranma, is that acceptable to you?" Soun asked, for the boy, now named, to nod.

In the kitchen, Kasumi cursed. Nabiki was playing a shrewd game, and she moved back to the table.

"I accept the engagement..." She stated as she slid back into her seat, Soun acknowledging her, "However..."

Ranma didn't even notice the water hit him, and blinked in confusion.

"I offer you a challenge. I know about Jusenkyo curses..." Kasumi stated, "If you fail this challenge, you will be my bride..."

"What the?!" Ranma stated, finally noticing that there was a third girl at the table.

"The challenge is simple. Without anyone acknowledging me first, you must notice me. If you fail within the next month, you agree to never be a boy again..." Kasumi offered, "In exchange, I teach you how I did it,"

"And if I notice you?" Ranma asked.

"I will be your bride," Kasumi conceded, "That is all, And I mean NOTICE, not acknowledge me for my actions."

Both Ranma and Nabiki swore for different reasons. Kasumi had set up a seemingly impossible task. Acknowledgement of someone being there was easy, but noticing someone...

'Ranma can easily acknowledge her, and therefore work out that she's in the room, but that's not the same as noticing her enter the room before anyone else can,' Nabiki stated.

"And when does this challenge... Where did she go?" Ranma exclaimed, cursing as everyone noticed something about Kasumi. She'd left after offering her challenge... and no-one had noticed.

* * *

"Hey, Akane, Have you seen Kasumi?"

"Soun, I'm looking for your daughter..."

"Pops, I can't seem to find my fiancee..."

"Nabiki, why are you laughing?"

This last one was the most recent, as she stood to one side of the stairs. "If I was the one who made the challenge, I'd accuse you of cheating..." She stated, "Your father might think that his travels weren't exactly telegraphed, but let's just say I know every place he stopped and then some..."

"What are you getting at, Nabiki?" Ranma asked.

"I'd ask your father. You are in the room next door to Kasumi's, your father is in the room over there..." Nabiki stated, "You set a very dangerous precedent, Ranma..."

"How so?" Ranma asked.

"You're interesting..." Nabiki stated, "Kasumi had some reason for defusing the potential problems of your curse... She even had me research ways to lock the curse... And it wasn't hard to find one..."

Ranma looked at the room where he'd been assigned, and frowned. It said 'Ranko', instead of his name. Deciding it was another thing he'd have up with Kasumi when he got to her, he went into the room, and walked out a hour later, his mood frigid.

"Where is she?!" He growled, for Nabiki to look towards the kitchen, "Kasumi, Why is..."

"That a girl's room?" Kasumi's voice said from the kitchen, "Oh, very simple... As I stated, The challenge, and I know you're going through with it, it's too tempting not to, requires that you stay a girl..."

"But..." Ranma began, "How I am meant to stay as a girl?"

"I do not like this challenge..." Genma stated, "Boy, you cannot accept this challenge..."

"Then the engagement is off..." Kasumi replied, "I need the phone book to call someone..."

"Let's not be hasty..." Genma retorted, going pale, "What are the rules of this challenge then?"

"Firstly, Ranko, as I have applied Ranma for Furinkan under, has to remain a girl except where it's impossible not to do so." Kasumi began, as she entered the room, "I will help Ranko get dressed and other things that might cause problems for her..."

"But, in doing so, I would have to meet with you, and therefore invalidate the challenge..." Ranma countered.

"Secondly, The exact nature of 'Noticing' me... You need to be able to reveal that I am currently doing something, to anyone else in the room, before I bring attention to it myself..." Kasumi stated, "So, When it's just you and me, there is no way to notice anything..."

"So, Mealtimes and when she's helping you with your girl lessons don't count..." Nabiki offered, "To declare that she's serving the breakfast... That's just petty attempts at bringing attention to her..."

"Thirdly, I will reveal something very secret about me to you if you accept the challenge. This will be something between me and Ranko, and you will need to know it anyway if you wish to be my husband..." Kasumi stated, before looking at Soun, and handing him a piece of paper. He looked at it, then burned it.

"So, Ranko will..." Soun asked, for Kasumi to nod, "That is more than acceptable,"

"Father, What did she show you?" Nabiki asked.

"Me and your mother held a identical secret with each other..." Soun stated, "Kasumi is party to this secret, and I am forbidden from telling you or Akane..."

"You are... unsuitable for it, and Akane is far too noticeable..." Kasumi stated, "Anyway, The third rule is this... Any attempt to reveal what I teach you to someone, and I will consider you to have failed the challenge as a minimum..."

Nabiki frowned. The first and second rule were to spice up the basic challenge, to make it harder for Ranma, or rather Ranko, to manage. The third however, left her curious. What kind of information was so secret, it was between only her oldest sister and their father?

* * *

**I wish to make a few things clear.**

**Akane will be a background character in this story at best, and Genma might as well not exist. Not because I can't write them well, but because Akane has no interest in the battle of wills between Kasumi and Nabiki over Ranko's fate, and Kasumi is deliberately cutting Ranko off from her father. A few storylines might see Akane cross into Ranko's life, like the Kodachi Kuno plotline, and I will need to use Genma sometimes, but most of the story will revolve round Kasumi's secret, and Ranko's discovery of how much her father's control of her life is not what she wants.**


	2. Chapter 2

Ranma sat in the furo, cursing what he'd been roped into. On the surface, the challenge was simple and easy to work with. However, Kasumi had made it even more difficult by the basic concept behind it. He got out, tipping some cold water over himself.

She looked over at the girl that she'd be until Kasumi saw reason or this infernal challenge was over. This was not looking like it would be a fun challenge. As she walked out of the room, Kasumi fell into step next to her, helping her into her room, and getting out a black babydoll nightie from one of the drawers.

"This is..." Ranko began, for Kasumi to sigh.

"Right now, you're a girl, so you dress for bed like a girl..." Kasumi stated, "I do not want to be your enemy..."

"So, Why have you set me up for a challenge to be a girl for a month?!" Ranko snapped.

"I cannot say... What I will is that there are a lot of things that would make it better if you were to disappear..." Kasumi stated, placing the babydoll on the bed. Ranko sighed, and picked up the infernal lacy nightmare, and put it on.

Several doors away, Genma cursed the day he'd made this engagement. How could he work with making Ranma his ideal heir and a man amongst men if he was kept at more than arm's length?

* * *

**Chapter Two - Seen But Never Heard...**

**Author's Notes - Something I wish to note... Kasumi only threw out the month as a finite time period. The fun of this story is that Ranko will get to notice Kasumi a lot, but Ranma won't even get the time of day from her, and people's memories are deliciously easy to subvert...**

* * *

The following morning, Ranko was woken by Kasumi, who laid out a kimono for her to wear, Ranko looking at the time. "Why are we getting up so early?"

"I do not trust your father to not attempt any foolish attempts to bring you back under his control..." Kasumi stated, "I hope for you to help me do my morning chores, then you will head for school."

Ranko frowned, but got the kimono, Kasumi fussing over how she'd done it up. "Stands out too much, a poorly worn kimono..." Kasumi muttered, leading her through a door into her room, beckoning towards a shrine in the corner of the room, "Sit at the shrine, and join me... I expect to see you in that same spot every morning,"

As Kasumi prayed in remembrance of her mother, Ranma joined her out of courtesy. "Something important when you get to school today..." Kasumi stated as that ritual finished, "Never answer the teacher. Let them see you attended, then, after that, you cannot dare let on that you're there..."

"Why?" Ranko asked, confused, as they arrived at the kitchen, not having noticed Kasumi guide her to the room.

"The walls have eyes and ears, and they all seem to belong to Nabiki," Kasumi stated, "Is that a dragon whisker in your hair?"

* * *

Once her and Kasumi had their own breakfast, Ranko headed towards Furinkan, frowning at her new shoulder-length french braid. "Way to make it hard to not stand out..." She muttered, cursing how she'd removed the hair for only long enough to get the hair to the right length for cutting and styling.

She arrived early, and headed inside, acknowledging the home room teacher as she sat down, who marked her as attending. When the first students filed in, that's when Ranko's school life went weird...

For one, she managed to get a lot more of her schoolwork done, and the fact that no-one had disturbed her meant that she had a peaceful and quiet day. The only disruption had been caused by a fight breaking out shortly before the first bell, something that she ignored. Whatever Kasumi had been trying to achieve, unlike her problems with when she attended school as Ranma, as far as anyone was concerned, the girl with shoulder length flame red hair in a french braid didn't interest them.

The weird thing was that part of her was screaming that she should stand out like a beacon. She didn't know why, but the other part of her was wondering if it was part of how Kasumi kept from being noticed...

* * *

"What do you mean by 'You sure she's here'?!" Nabiki asked, "How the hell do you lose someone with vibrant red hair?"

"That's just it, boss..." The first of the two older students offered, "We need to see her to find her, right?"

Nabiki rubbed her temples, before nodding, and wondering what was going on. She'd missed Ranma heading to school, which made no sense at all, since she'd got up shortly before breakfast, but... she was already gone, having had a early breakfast. She could almost hear Kasumi laughing at her foolishness.

"I checked attendance on what classes she'd be in... She's marked as attending, the teacher even said she was early..." The second one stated, "However, the teachers, and the rest of the class, can't for the foggiest remember what she looked like, or remember seeing her leave..."

Nabiki hit her head against the table. Kasumi hadn't just claimed Ranko for her challenge, she apparently had also taught her how to befuddle what was normally a well-oiled surveillance machine. If she kept this up, by the time she actually got a handle on the situation, it would be too late.

When she got home, the first thing she did was glare at Ranko, especially the fact her hair was a very distinctive french braid now. "How in blazes did you do it?" Nabiki growled, "Not in all my life have I ever been so humiliated..."

"Do what, pray tell?" Kasumi asked, Nabiki not even looking at her.

"You must have conspired against me..." Nabiki growled, "Such a distinctive and noticeable look... And... and..."

Ranko just looked at her and grinned. "Ran-chan, Is it so much better to not be the centre of attention, to be able to control where everyone is looking so they're not looking at you?" Kasumi asked, airily.

As Ranko got into bed, she considered asking Kasumi for the Dragon's Whisker back as she unbraided her hair. Her father was ignoring her, stating that nothing good would come of allowing Kasumi to dictate things. As she fell asleep, she smiled as she felt that her father was wrong...

Already something good had come of it, as there had been none of the madness that seemed to hang over his life all day.

* * *

Kasumi sat on a nearby rooftop, watching Ranko fall asleep, smiling to herself.

"Lesson 1 completed. She successfully evaded surveillance and moved about a public place without bringing attention to what she was doing there..." Kasumi mused, "Mother, is it alright for me to date my new student?"

She headed off with nary a sound to investigate the reports of strange property purchases, smirking to herself. Nabiki might claim to have the most extensive information network in Furinkan, but Kasumi...

Without even trying, a pin couldn't drop without her hearing about it, because lips were oh so loose when they didn't know who was eavesdropping.

* * *

The following morning, Kasumi woke to find Ranko already sat at the shrine, looking over her appreciatively. The cut was perfect, and the contents were stunning. She rebraided her hair, then they prayed for her mother.

Yet again, they were finished and done before the house had fully woken up. "Kasumi, Can you please make sure my... daughter is actually here when I wake up?" Genma asked, his tone almost a growl. She inwardly grimaced. She was bringing notice to herself in how much she was extending the obfuscation effect to Ranko's attitude, "He is at risk of becoming soft..."

"Your daughter managed to go through a entire day at school without being seen, heard or noticed..." Nabiki countered, "Only one person in this room can do that, and she's an expert,"

"Maybe he doesn't need a refresher in the Art..." Genma conceded, while noticing something else... He'd not really seen his son-now-daughter since yesterday either.

This could not stand!


	3. Chapter 3

Tatewaki Kuno prided himself on being able to locate the most desirable girls in school and court them. So, when a general whisper started about another girl who was actively evading Nabiki Tendo's net, he tried hard to locate her.

The problem was that he couldn't see anything out of place, anything new, anything... noticeable.

"How could someone attend the school but completely and utterly avoid bringing attention to themselves?!" He exclaimed, bumping into a redhaired girl.

"Maybe by not being so noticeable?" She offered, then walked off.

As she did, Ranko smirked to herself as the boy completely and utterly missed the fact he'd collided with her. If this is what Kasumi's life was like, somehow, Ranko found herself more and more wanting to keep it, and going back to being Ranma, who reminded her, too much, of the boy she'd just passed, was becoming incrinceasingly less of a good idea.

* * *

**Chapter Three - Hiding In Plain Sight**

**Author's Notes - I wish to apologize for several minor plot holes in the first couple of chapters. This chapter will be mostly some of the people who normally would have caused a almighty disaster upon encoutering Ranma, but, in this situation, won't be a problem at all.**

**Yes, this will be a Ranko/Kasumi pairing, and any reviewer try to tell me that Ranma is not an expert at bringing the attention of half the area to him, and, throughout the manga, was successful at, through his acceptance of challenges, keeping the attention on Him and Him alone.**

**Also, I apologize for how short this chapter is, but the next chapter will be a doozy.**

* * *

Ryoga Hibiki had a problem. It was a simple problem. He got lost easily, but he did have a unerring ability to find the Tendo dojo with surprising frequency.

"Excuse me, where is this?" He asked the redhead that was snoozing under a tree by a school.

"Furinkan High School," The girl stated, opening her suitcase and handing him a bento, "Ryoga Hibiki?"

"Yes... How do you know me?" He asked.

"Kasumi-sempai, Yes, that's right... Kasumi-sempai told me that when I saw you, to give you this." The girl offered, before walking off.

He smiled. Clearly, Kasumi-sempai referred to Kasumi Tendo, who somehow was always there with something for him to eat whenever he passed through the area. He didn't even consider that the girl might be any relation to his wayward rival.

He didn't even hear the girl mutter about how she'd make sure that they'd never meet as rivals again...

* * *

Xian Pu was not happy as she observed Furinkan High. She was trying to locate Ranma, only to find that, somehow, despite all her efforts, she was getting nowhere fast. The way that he'd been when he defeated her had been loud, brash and should have made it a short and easy job to find him.

Yet he'd vanished. Not just vanished, actually. It was like he had never been there to begin with. "Grandmother..." She stated as Khu Lon hopped up next to her, "Are you quite sure that the trail lead here?"

"We confirmed that the boy's father sent a postcard to this district, and this is the only school that he could possibly attend," Khu Lon offered, "Possibly they drowned doing some foolish training exercise..."

She sighed. "We will return to the village, and make our report to the other elders..." She offered, "To continue to pursue this would be expensive and difficult to warrant with the local embassy..."

They walked off, deciding that Ranma Saotome was another of those fools who thought the human body had no limits, and was not going to be found. In their case, the whole fact Ranko's hairstyle was so different meant they had no chance of recognising her anywhere.

* * *

Ranko arrived back home,, looking at her father after she had changed into her kimono for the evening. "Ranma, What are you doing?" He asked, looking at her, "You're letting her dictate everything, and you are ignoring who you are..."

"Father, I'm making sure your engagement contract goes ahead..." Ranko offered, "Is there any reason I have to do everything your way?"

"You will begin training once more..." Genma snapped, "You are not some girl who hides herself from all the world..."

"What if I don't want the world to notice me?" Ranko offered in retort.

Genma sighed, and went to go play Shogi with Soun. He'd have to hope that something brought attention to Ranko, or everything would be lost.

Kasumi met Ranko as her father left, smiling as she did.

"That is a very good thing you did... Nabiki, It is time we help out Ranko with demystifying something to her..."

"Why did you train to be the best?" Nabiki asked.

"I was to be a Man Amongst Men..." Ranko stated.

""Hmm..." Both girls stated, before Kasumi stated, "Akene, Come here..."

"What is it, sis?" Akane asked.

"After Ranma's lesson with me, that she passed with flying colours, I am going to give her two lessons for the price of one, and you are both going to help me..." Kasumi stated, "Let us go into Ranko's room, and, hopefully, when we leave, she will understand..."

* * *

**I wish to address something about my reviews. Kinai pointed out, rather civilly, that I needed to bring out a point that possibly they researched the Saotome situation. AzaggThoth however tore into the story, claiming that Ranma is a character that resembles 'Ranma', and Kasumi is a Mary Sue.**

**You're going on about the Seppuku Contract like it's some massive piece of iron-clad legislation that was done in front of a court with several witnesses, and that Genma would wave it over Ranma the moment Kasumi tried to play the gender card against Ranma. Newsflash, Azagg...**

**Next chapter, the terms of that contract will be laid bare.**


	4. Chapter 4

"No wonder you hate this room..." Nabiki observed, "Where does the door lead, Kasumi?"

"My room. It's for Ranko to do her morning duties, and is on a time lock," Kasumi stated, Nabiki testing the door and finding it didn't budge, "Anyway, Ranko, you were charged with becoming a Man Amongst Men..."

"So, some guy that everyone looks up to and declares he is most definitely a M-A-N..." Nabiki joked.

"This is serious... Nabiki, Look through Genma's things, find out if there is anything that would suggest a deal or contract that would make him do something like this..." Kasumi stated, "When you get back, we'll explain why, even if you won the challenge I set you, you'd rather not be that M-A-N..."

* * *

**Chapter Four - Man Amongst Men**

**What is a man amongst men? According to canon, Nodoka sees Ryu Kumori, a shyster and a fraud who scams her and was pretty much a ruthless and cruel bastard, as more of a 'Man Amongst Men' than Ranma, who is noble, kind and won't back down for anything.**

**Yes, Ranma would have to effectively give up his moral code and abuse his Art and his skills to fulfil the seppuku contract, when Akane is endeared to him, somewhat, for his selflessness and heroism. Wonderful, isn't it?**

* * *

Once Nabiki got back, she looked thunderous, and was using her phone. "Saeko, Find out all you can about Nodoka Saotome, She is to be located urgently..." She said, then took a picture of Ranko, "I sent you a picture, It's a current picture of the new girl... As of right now, you are to ensure that nothing makes that girl unhappy,"

"What the hell?" Ranko stated.

"Kasumi, The challenge is off," Nabiki stated, "As soon as we can, we're getting that ladle I found out about, and we're sending her father to the zoo, whatever you're doing with her goes ahead..."

"Can anyone explain what is wrong?" Ranko pleaded as Nabiki's phone rang.

"You've located the target... Right, I want you to tell her this... A friend of yours heard about some remains found out at sea, and some identification found with them had the name Genma Saotome on it..." Nabiki continued, "Good good, No, she's no relation to the new girl..."

Nabiki then paused, before letting out a breath. "Ranko, Your mother decided that you were to be put to death if you weren't one of several possible interpretations of Man Amongst Men..." She stated, "Also, I found these..."

Nabiki dropped a stack of papers about an inch thick on the floor, each of them being a poorly written agreement that Ranma would marry someone's daughter. "I'll be busy for the next few days following these up. I did have some of them already on a watch list due to crime reports with your last name attached. Apparently, the recently deceased Ranma Saotome is a prolific thief wanted all across several countries in the Far Eastern Peninsula," Nabiki began, "The seppuku contract was just the tip of a iceberg that was leading you towards ending up in deep water..."

"Well, I was going to discuss what you think a man amongst men meant..." Kasumi offered.

"A super-pervert, most likely. Peeping on girls, wearing girl's underwear..." Akane began.

"I only OWN girl's underwear..." Ranma countered.

"And you look very nice in it..." Akane grumbled, "I don't know why no-one notices me..."

"Good idea... Tomorrow, Go out with me, I'm out at about 7am, and don't bring any attention to yourself," Ranko offered, "Maybe if you were to completely avoid that fight you get into every morning and started being early, didn't pick fights and acted like a girl..."

"Coming from you, that's odd advice... Anyway, A boy wearing girl's underwear, Walking in on a girl when she's bathing, invading their comfort zone..." Akane continued.

"A absolute bastard..." Ranko growled, "If I ever met a man that did half of that, Kasumi-sempai, Am I allowed to practice my Art on them?"

* * *

Ryoga Hibiki sneezed from where he was sleeping in Akane's room as P-chan.

* * *

"No, Ranko... You are to leave that barbaric and loud style to die," Kasumi stated sweetly, "That doesn't mean you are not allowed to teach him a lesson,"

"The other option that I want to offer is Tatewaki Kuno. He's rich, he's a casanova..." Nabiki continued.

"He's a idiot who managed to completely miss that I was who he was looking for a day or two ago..." Ranko stated, "Does he have sight problems?"

"Right, and I'll check that out... Anyway, He's also as fake as Ranko is at the moment..." Nabiki stated, "Give me 6-8 weeks, and I'll need you to do me some passport-size photographs..."

"Umm...OK..." Ranko stated, "How much will that cost?"

"Nothing... but that's mainly since I might just have pocketed any money your father had..." Nabiki stated, dusting her fingers.

"Nabiki!" Kasumi chidled, holding out her hand, for Nabiki to hand her a thick wad of notes. She counted them, and gave Nabiki roughly half, "If it costs more, Let me know,"

"I mustn't leave my price lists out..." Nabiki grumbled as she pocketed the money., "Still, Two shining examples of the common man,"

"Now, What does it mean to be a Yamato Nadeshiko?" Kasumi asked, "That is your new challenge for your life, Ranko... To be, instead of a man amongst men for your mother, to be a yamato nadeshiko for me..."

She then pressed something in her pocket, and went out through the door to her room, for it to close with a click. Nabiki and Akane filed out shortly afterwards.

"That seems like a strange request..." Ranko mused, wandering to her schoolbooks. When she found it, she both smiled and looked worried.

Could she pull off being the perfect traditional japanese woman?

* * *

Kasumi smiled as she stood in her usual perch that night, only to yelp as Ranko noticed her, having been sat on the roof looking pensieve.

"Good job Nabiki cancelled the challenge..." Kasumi cursed, as Ranko joined her, smiling as her footfalls were almost silent.

"What the hell?" Ranko asked, "You're..."

"A kunoichi... Think about it... I taught you stealth when I told you not to be noticed at school... The perfect woman trope is a way to ensure no-one even feels threatened by you..." Kasumi began. Ranma noticed that, while she had the right attire, she didn't have any weapons.

"...and the third lesson is how to dispose of your opponents without leaving a trace..." Kasumi finished, "Nabiki wants Genma donated to the zoo... However..."

She then drew a plain dagger from where it was hidden, and made a motion across her neck and stomach. "He'll commit seppuku in his sleep..." She stated.

Ranko swallowed, testing the weight of the weapon. "And if I don't do it?" Ranko asked, for Kasumi to have vanished into a fine mist.

The following morning, Soun sighed. He found the seppuku contract, and guessed what had happened. Two clean strokes, no doubt what had happened. The coroner promised anonymity to Genma, and a unmarked grave in a private plot. Kasumi cradled Ranko in her arms, whispering to her to calm her.

If Soun had heard what she whispered, however, he'd have pulled them apart immediately. Kasumi knew it was time to step it up a notch.

* * *

**Damn you, plot bunny, damn you to HELL! How the hell did this get to this part, I do not know. This was written unbeta'd, uncut and straight off with a completely different plan. Shows how well I know my muse.**


	5. Notice

**NOTICE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS STORY**

I wish to apologize in advance for what I am about to say to anyone who hoped that I would continue this story in it's current form. However, I wish to say that the story will be being taken down in the next couple of days, after I have written the first chapter of a longer and more refined version.

The current version is full of plotholes and timeskips, and I have to say is not one of my best stories by any stretch of the imagination.

I will fix the plotholes, and attempt to curb the timeskips, but the basic premise of Kasumi taking Ranma under her wing and showing her the brutal truth about who Ranma Saotome is to the point where Ranma discards herself will be retained.

Thanks, all the reviewers who pointed out how the story was broken in it's current form.

No thanks to those who flamed me rather badly in doing so.


	6. It has come to my attention

Now, a lot of you might complain that my stories have overly short chapters, are full of irrelevant commentary, and some truly kind souls actually give two bits about whether or not I'll be posting anything else this side of Easter.

Well, the bad news is that I am unlikely to post anything before around April-May area. The worse news is that every story I have will be getting revised.

Most of my stories, I was having problems with subplots that just weren't working out. It's terrible to suffer writer's block, and I moved on from most of my writing projects to think on them. When I come back to it, I'll be taking down most of what's up now, starting each story fresh with a new angle, or much longer chapters.

So, All my stories are, as far as anyone is concerned, completed, until I get the new material ready. In the past, I posted with no usable material ready, and didn't beta my work. That's why I'm not going to post for at least a month. When I've got some nice long story chapters, we'll see what we can do. Until then, I'm making no promises on anything.


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